Six Odisha migrant labourers abducted in Karnataka

Six migrant labourers of Rajnagar block in Odisha’s Kendrapara, who were abducted by a group of armed men from the Mysore railway station in Karnataka, have been kept at an unknown destinations, their family members have alleged.

According to reports, six migrant labourers—Srinibas Mandal, Kalipada Mandal, Ali Mandal, Jagannath Mandal and Ratan Mirdha—of Debendra Narayanpur village of Gupti Panchayat had gone to Mysore on February 18 to work as migrant labourers.

As soon as they arrived at Mysore railway station at about 4 PM on February 20, five youths, led by an Odia contractor Prasant Maini, abducted them by brandishing sharp weapons at them.

Earlier, the gang had abducted another migrant labourer, Manas Mandal of Rajarajeswar village of Kendrapara district.

The abductors, after severely thrashing the five labourers and snatching their mobile phones, kept them in confinement at two places.

Later, they informed the matter to the family members of these labourers in the evening on February 22.

The panicked family members met the District Labour Welfare Officer on February 26 and requested him to rescue the six abducted labourers to which the latter told them that he cannot do anything without the order of the district collector.

The family members on the same day went to the collector’s office and submitted their complaint in his absence.

But as there was no response, the family members on Saturday lodged a complaint with Rajnagar police. But as the police did not receive their complaint, they met Rajnagar SDPO and apprised him of the incident.

When asked about the incident, Rajnagar SI Nrusingha Charan Swain said it is not possible for the local police to take any action since the incident has taken place in the other state.

As told by Jayadev Mandal, a family member of one of the labourers, Prasant Maini, a labour contractor of Krushnapriya village of Gupti panchayat, had taken the five youths of Debendra Narayanpur village to Mysore on November 16 last year for binding of rods. But as the owner did not pay them their two-month wage, they left the place on January 28 and arrived at their village.

However, after persuasion, the five youths had again gone to Mysore but were abducted by Maini and his goons as soon as they arrived at the railway station.